Attitude #2: Prepare for it to get worse before it gets better

One of my friends preaches on occasion. If the verses he is preparing to speak about relate to gratitude, he will catch himself being ungrateful. If the verses are about loving your neighbor, he will face a situation that makes loving his neighbor very difficult.

It's like a spotlight shines in, and illuminates the opportunity for growth and change.

When my youngest was on the cusp of learning to speak, my husband pointed out that he whined all the time. I had not really noticed--with four older boys and the distractions of work and homeschooling, it was easy enough to simply meet the needs of the youngest and move on.

But once my husband demonstrated the specific, grating noise, I knew to listen for it. And, yes, my son made that horrible sound regularly.

This might happen to you. If you start to watch for bad attitudes, as well as bad behavior, realize that you might be overwhelmed initially. How did this crop of weeds grow up in your beautiful garden? Ack!

Do not grow discouraged (or at least, do not give in to discouragement!). Once you see the weeds, the right response is to pull them, not ignore them and pretend they don't exist. And if you have to weed a whole lot for a while, that's just what you have to do.